Notes on Genesis Chapter Two

Genesis 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
See All... – “heavens” – cf. Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
See All... – all heavens (pl) now finished

“host” – could include angelic beings, but doesn’t – simply refers to celestial bodies (cf. Psalm 148:2Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
See All...). Also, Isaiah 34:4And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
See All... says all the host of heaven, but does not include angels.

“finished” – All creation complete – no creation going on today

Genesis 2:2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
See All... – “rested”

Not that God was tired and worn out, but to give us a divine principle of life – work six days and rest one. Cf. Hebrews 4:1-10[1] Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
[2] For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
[3] For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
[4] For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
[5] And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
[6] Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
[7] Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
[8] For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
[9] There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
[10] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
See All... – prophetically pointing to the seventh millennium of rest or the 1000-year reign of Christ.

Genesis 2:3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
See All... – “sanctified”

God sets apart the day of rest for His pleasure.

One day per week ought to be the Lord’s – to delight oneself in the Lord is to appropriate this principle (cf. Isaiah 58:13-14[13] If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
[14] Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
See All...) (Psalm 37:4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
See All...)

“created” – in Hebrew – “bara” means to make or create with or without substance

Genesis 2:4These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
See All... – “generations”

Not long periods of time – generation simply means the act of generating or making; the period of time that something is made – in this case, six days of 24-hour duration. To generate something involves a start time and a finish time, and the interval between is the generation.

“day” – here it is very obvious that day is a generic term referring to the specific period of creation.

Note: Certain words must be kept within their context. The word “run” has many meanings, as a boy runs, a run in a stocking, or a production run.

Genesis 2:5And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
See All... – “before”

When herbs and plants were created, man was not present to sow seed, cultivate, etc. Here we see the vegetable kingdom was created in “apparent age” or full-size without fruit in bloom.

All plants full-size at creation – the earth is fully landscaped.

Genesis 2:6But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
See All... – “mist from the earth”

Genesis 2:7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
See All... – “formed man of the dust”

Here man’s body is fabricated from the 14 basic elements found in dust.

Note that man did not emerge from protozoa in the sea – no life yet, just a form, but a complete form and not void.

“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

The entire portion of this verse is of vital importance and must be understood in the context of creation and pro-creation. Some modernists have leaped upon this verse to prove that devilish abortions are Biblically permissive because until a fetus (their term) breathes, it is not a living soul; thus attempting to equate life with breath. First, Leviticus 17:11For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
See All... states that the life of the flesh is in the blood, not the breath. In Genesis 2:7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
See All... the Bible speaks of the creation of Adam in “apparent age.” God formed man completely with all his vital organs and systems including the circulatory system, which supplies the blood flow. This creative act was performed outside a womb and with no umbilical cord attached. When God supernaturally gave this full-grown man breath, all of his systems began to function and blood began to circulate – hence, life.

In pro-creation, the baby (not fetus) in the womb is being fed; and the circulatory system is in operation. The life of the flesh is in the blood – in the womb there is life…without breath! The baby in the womb is always referred to as a “child” in Scripture. Hence, it is a living soul IN THE WOMB! To willfully destroy a baby in the womb is murder!

Genesis 2:8And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
See All... – “planted a garden”

A special place for Adam – evidently planted in a full-grown state

“he put the man” – it is God’s choice, not man’s, for his location (good advice for man today concerning a place to serve)

Genesis 2:9And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
See All... – “every tree”

Affirmation of creation by God – not evolutionary process

“Tree of life” – obviously a tree of supernatural design and purpose

“midst” – the heart of the garden – in obvious view

“Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” – another tree of super-natural design and purpose

Genesis 2:10And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
See All... – “Eden”

Exact location unknown, as the Tigris and Euphrates riverbeds have changed over the millennia. The cradle of civilization is known by science to be in the region from Israel to ancient Babylon.

Genesis 2:11The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
See All... – “Pison”

Undetermined river (or canal) thought to be in the ancient Babylonia region

“Havilah” – Rich in minerals, though no specific location is determined

“onyx” – a quartz with parallel lines of alternating colors (obviously this land was beautiful and majestic).

Genesis 2:13And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
See All... – “Gihon”

Location undetermined though in the same region as Pison

“Ethiopia”

Some balk as how the Gihon can compass Ethiopia, as the two are on different continents; but we must bear in mind that the land area is a single mass at this point; and gulfs, seas, and rivers as we know them today have been drastically altered due to the flood (Genesis 6-8) and the dividing of land (Genesis 10).

Genesis 2:14And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
See All... – “Hiddekel”

Ancient name of the present-day Tigris River

“Euphrates”

Modern-day river in Asia, though its river bed and course have been definitely altered over the millennia.

Genesis 2:15And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
See All... – “took the man”

The Creator doing with His creation as it pleaseth Him (cf. Revelation 4:11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
See All...)

“Garden of Eden”

Not just a large vegetable garden, but also a vast paradise-type land mass to house a multitude of plant and animal life.

“dress,” “keep”

From the beginning, man is never to just drift aimlessly through life without a purpose. God gives Adam the responsibility and charge over the garden. One must be present to keep something – even a keeper at home.

Genesis 2:16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
See All... – “commanded”

There can be no order apart from rules and regulations. Here God begins to establish order with Adam. Every celestial body must rotate on its axis and orbit at a speed as commanded by God. To obey brings order; to disobey brings chaos.

“every tree”

The Lord allows Adam to exercise complete liberty to partake of all the fruit in the garden. As the keeper of the garden, he (Adam) is allowed to freely eat of its fruit (cf. 1 Timothy 5:18For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
See All...). Please note that in God’s perfect plan, man is never to leave the garden – everything he needs is where God put him.

Genesis 2:17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
See All... – “But”

Now comes a restriction, which will cause Adam to make a choice. Man must now exercise his free will – sorry, 5-point Calvinists!

“Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”

Out of all the trees in the garden, God now focuses upon one. (There are two trees in the midst of the garden.)

“Thou shalt not eat”

A line of authority is drawn between God and Adam, as a specific restriction is imposed on Adam (Keep in mind that God did not tell him not to eat of the tree of life – this will be discussed in the next chapter).

“in the day”

A time frame is established for an upcoming punishment for disobedience.

“thou shalt surely die”

God gives man a responsibility.

God allows man to enjoy great freedom and liberty.

God imposes a restriction on Adam.

Adam is faced with a choice.

Now God states the fact of a penalty, if the wrong choice is made. “Surely” denotes the seriousness of the matter, and the Lord obviously believes this to be a deterrent for Adam. (So it ought to be today in government.)

Eve is not present when this command is given.

It is often asked, “Did Adam die the same day that he sinned?” One doesn’t have to spiritualize the verse to suggest that Adam died spiritually when he disobeyed God, but rather take it literally that Adam died physically before the “day” was finished. A day with the Lord is a thousand years. Adam did not live out the day as God promised, and no man since Adam ever lived longer than a “day” (because of Adam’s sin – sin came upon all men).

Genesis 2:18And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
See All... – “It is not good”

Throughout all of God’s creative acts, the Lord stated that they were very good. Now He sees, not a mistake, but a complement necessary to His creation. Bear in mind that Genesis 1 gives the general creation account and finishes with male and female being created. Here in Genesis 2 are the details of what took place. Hence, God is putting the finishing touches on His creation. The best for last. The dessert…woman.

“Alone” – Adam was not alone in the sense that he had no company, for there was a multitude of animals. He was alone after his own kind.

Genesis 2:19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
See All... – “Adam called”

What a masterpiece of intellectual ability – to name all the animals (land and air), which numbered in the thousands. Adam was a perfect specimen of body and mind. Also notice the fellowship with God as He brought the creatures to Adam to be named.

Genesis 2:20And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
See All... – “Adam gave names”

Completion of naming the animals occurred on the sixth day. Adam was just created; and because he was created in “apparent age” (full-size), he could readily perform adulthood functions. Obviously, he was created with the supernatural – immediate capacity to think, reason, and speak.

“not found” – After quickly naming all the animals and examining their characteristics – something was missing. Adam found no animal suitable to complement him. (I wonder what evolutionists do with this verse – there apparently wasn’t even a “missing link.”)

“help meet” – In the Hebrew – ezer knegdo or “counterpart”

Someone as a helper (an aide) suitable for him

Genesis 2:21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
See All... – “deep sleep”

Adam was created not sinless, but innocent – a state similar to a young child. Evidently pain was a consideration, as God put Adam to sleep to perform what appears to be Divine surgery with supernatural healing. All this must occur on the sixth 24-hour day (Genesis 1:26-31[26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
[28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
[29] And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
[30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
[31] And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
See All...).

“one of his ribs” – God could have made the woman from the dust of the ground as He did Adam; but God chose to use part of Adam to create the woman so she, in fact, would be his counterpart, or “help meet.”

“closed up the flesh” – a type of surgical procedure of a Divine nature

Genesis 2:22And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
See All... – “rib”

We cannot be sure why God chose the rib instead of another part of Adam, but the fact that God took out of Adam to make woman is a typical foreshadow of Christ and His bride; for Christ took out of Himself to make His Bride. We are one in Christ. Hence, a woman is not just some form of chattel, but an integral part of man – his counterpart.

“brought her” – God brought His new creation – the final gem – to Adam and presented her to him.

Note: Adam and his bride are a likeness of Israel and the Bride of Christ. Adam had access to the tree of life (as long as he didn’t partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Salvation is of the Jew first. Adam rejected God’s plan through unbelief (disobedience). God caused a deep sleep to come over Adam. Israel is temporarily blinded (asleep). God took a rib from Adam and made his bride. Gentiles were grafted in and became partakers by faith of salvation – the bride of Christ (cf. Romans 11:17-21[17] And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
[18] Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
[19] Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
[20] Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
[21] For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
See All...).

Genesis 2:23And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
See All... – “woman”

Hebrew – isha or “out of man”

When God took something (rib) from Adam, it made man incomplete, and only until God returned Woman to man was Adam complete. Truly a man today is incomplete without a woman.

Genesis 2:24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
See All... – “father and his mother”

God now reveals the institution of the home or marriage, as He looks ahead to the future race of man. The instruction for man when he marries is to leave father and mother and begin a new family. This certainly doesn’t imply to “divorce” your parents, but is simply divine wisdom that multiple families under the same roof will breed trouble. Also, there is a change of authority involved.

“cleave,” “one flesh” – The word wife is used and clarifies a marriage relationship. The terms “cleave” and “one flesh” certainly reveal a permanent relationship. In fact, the Hebrew indicates that his type of union cannot be divided (Divine super-glue!). “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”